Today is Astronomy Day

Look, up in the sky…it’s a bird, it’s a plane…no, IT’S VENUS

By Will Collette

April 28 is Astronomy Day, an international effort to attract more people from the general public “to share the joy of astronomy.”

As regular Progressive Charlestown readers know, I am a big astronomy buff, which is why we often post NASA’s Astronomy Picture of the Day, even though it isn’t exactly a hot, popular item.

Indeed, many more readers click on our articles about the other major astronomy matter of interest to Charlestown, namely the ongoing fight over a lighting ordinance to preserve Charlestown’s dark sky. That issue is scheduled to come to a head once again when the Planning Commission’s heavily amended, but still unseen, draft #3,578 of the ordinance goes to the Town Council for a second public hearing on June 11.

But today is Astronomy Day, which ought to be nonpolitical. Unfortunately, in Charlestown, almost nothing is non-political and, when it comes to Astronomy Day, you’re on your own to celebrate the day in your own way.

According to the listing of Astronomy Day events, there are no Rhode Island events scheduled. Nothing at Brown. Nothing at our own Frosty Drew Observatory in Ninigret Park, but that may be due to the Observatory’s complete lack of any modern telecommunications devices such as internet or telephone. I'm not sure how they do their website - must be from a remote location. 

So, if the night is clear, look up and enjoy.